In the Round of 16 of the 2025/26 National Cup, Thép Xanh Nam Dinh hosted Long An in a match that surprised many. Coach Mauro Jeronimo gave 28-year-old striker Xuan Son a starting spot - and even more surprising, kept him on the field for the full 90 minutes.

Although Xuan Son didn’t score, he played energetically, putting pressure on the visiting defense alongside his teammates. Nam Dinh eventually won 2–0, with goals from Brenner (71') and Lam Ti Phong (84').

Coach Mauro emphasized that using Xuan Son for the full match wasn’t a gamble. “He already played 45 minutes against Laos. In essence, that match was similar to this one,” he explained.

“Son felt fine. That’s a great sign for the club - and for Vietnamese football. He’s in good shape and prepared thoroughly for this comeback.”

This marked the first full match for Xuan Son in a Nam Dinh jersey after nearly a year sidelined by injury. His return is a welcome development for both the club and the national team. Still, to reach his previous top form, he’ll need more than just good health - he’ll need rhythm and consistent performances.

In the national team’s 2–0 win over Laos in the final round of 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Xuan Son came on in the second half and was allowed to take a penalty, opening the scoring for Vietnam.

Despite scoring in his return, analysts noted his lack of sharpness - hesitation in challenges and a general loss of match instinct. For a player recovering from a serious injury, this is not unusual.

Commentator Quang Tung observed that Xuan Son still needs time. “He’s clearly not at his best yet. It will take more matches for him to get back to the physical and mental state he had before the injury,” he said.

Even in the match against a lower-division team like Long An, where Son started and received many balls, he couldn’t find the net. That suggests tougher opponents might pose greater challenges for the striker.

His performances in the past two matches reflect a significant effort in his journey back. But there’s no doubt that Xuan Son still faces many hurdles ahead, having been out of the game for so long.

Fans are now hoping that in the next four months - through the National Cup, V-League, and regional tournaments - Xuan Son will steadily improve. The ultimate goal is for him to be at his best when Vietnam hosts Malaysia in March 2026.

Dai Nam